Growing Entrepreneurship, One Entrepreneur at a Time

-written by Scott Thellman, AgEI Student Advisory Team Member, Ag Business Major

Guest Blogger: Scott Thellman – Junior in Agricultural Business with minors in Agronomy and Agricultural Entrepreneurship also sits on the AgEI Student Advisory Board, and serves at the treasurer for the Iowa State International Agriculture Club. He is the owner of Juniper Hill Farms, LLC in Lawrence, Kansas.

As a young entrepreneur and first generation farmer who has already entered into the business world, my view of entrepreneurship is probably different than that of my fellow colleagues.  For me, entrepreneurship represents being bold, stepping off the beaten’ path, taking that chance, and setting a course into uncharted waters with the hopes of hitting it big.  It has represented my entry into agriculture, the agricultural industry, and Iowa State University.

In 1999, my parents, who had no agricultural backgrounds, picked up their city roots and moved to the rural landscape that surrounded Lawrence, Kansas.  This monumental change opened a new chapter in our lives, and created an agricultural spark in my life that could not be stopped.  For years, I worked at local farms moving cattle and raising crops in the hopes of growing my knowledge of agriculture and the business behind it; knowing that one-day I wanted to start a farm of my own.  Then in 2006, after seeing a need for custom haying in my area, I took a risk, and purchased some old rusty hay equipment with savings I had built up from my time as a farm hand.  This started the long path to what is now known as Juniper Hill Farms.  The farm started out small, with just twenty-five acres of hay being baled in the first year, but quickly grew into something bigger.

Scott working on his farm in Kansas

Today, the farm continues to grow, and has become a staple image of the new wave of agriculture in our community.  This year, we will have produced 420 acres of high quality hay and alfalfa, two acres of USDA Certified Organic vegetables, and provided custom hire and consultation services to many customers.  We supply fresh produce to four grocery stores, as well as many restaurants and delis, and have even had to hire a full time and part time employee to meet our constantly growing demand.  The goal of the farm is to help serve our community’s needs for locally produced forages, vegetables, and grains, and we are constantly working to meet those demands from our community and surrounding areas.

As I continue to grow my business and my entrepreneurial spirit, I know that I can count on the AgEI and its faculty to serve as resources and mentors who will stand behind me.  The Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative, its faculty, and its resources have helped me grow into a stronger entrepreneur that has hopes, high hopes of one day changing our society and our world.  The program has helped to build my leadership skills, explore unique entrepreneurial ventures around the country, and has provided me with amazing opportunities to network and learn from entrepreneurs in my fields of interest.

During the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, Scott was able to share his entrepreneurial story with many people who visited his farm

Our motto at Juniper Hill Farms is ‘Growing the future of local agriculture, one plant at a time,’ and I believe that this motto can be easily translated to represent what the AgEI stands for.  The opportunities available to young entrepreneurs today are infinite.  With technology and niche markets rapidly expanding, new opportunities are emerging every day, and as entrepreneurs, our job is to find an opportunity that speaks to our passions, build that opportunity, and make a go at something that could become huge. The AgEI understands this, and works with their students to help strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset’s while at the same time providing them with a strong base of mentorship and support. That is why I believe that the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative is ‘growing the future of entrepreneurship, one entrepreneur at a time.’